二、阅读理解

Rainforests are amazing places full of different kinds of plants, foods, birds and other animals. Can you believe that a single forest in the Amazon may have more kinds of ants than the whole of Britain? And in just one small part of the rainforest, there can be about 480 different kinds of trees.
Rainforests have a smart way of staying healthy. The tall trees make a canopy(树冠层) of branches(树枝) and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, great dry heat from the sun and strong winds. They really play an important role in the health of the rainforests.
The trees in the rainforests grow in an interesting way. Even though they are close to each other, their branches and leaves never touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the trees' way to protect themselves so that they won't get diseases(疾病) from another tree. It also makes it more difficult for insects, which eat leaves, to move from one tree to another. To live in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the space between trees.
Rainforests get their name for a reason—they get a lot of rain! They can make 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal, and in some areas, there may be as much as 430 inches of rain every year. In just two hours, rivers can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity(湿气) of large rainforests helps to form rainclouds that may travel to other countries which are in need of rain. Rainforests are a part of nature that can help support the environment and keep our planet healthy.
()1. What does the underlined word "They" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Tall trees.
B. Smaller plants.
C. Forest animals.
D. Strong winds.
()2. Why do the trees' branches and leaves never touch those of another tree?
A. To get more sunlight.
B. To protect themselves.
C. To have more growing space.
D. To make insects move easily.
()3. Which of the following best describes rainforests according to the last paragraph?
A. Famous.
B. Dangerous.
C. Dirty.
D. Important.
()4. What is the purpose(目的) of the passage?
A. To tell the weather in rainforests.
B. To warn of the danger in rainforests.
C. To give an introduction to rainforests.
D. To call on protection of rainforests.

1~4 ABDC
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了热带雨林的多样性及其在生态系统中的重要作用。

【分析】本题是关于热带雨林的阅读理解题，共4道小题，分别考查词义猜测、细节理解、主旨大意类题型。解题思路如下：1. 词义猜测题需定位代词所在句，向前寻找指代的名词；2. 细节理解题要根据题干关键词，在原文中精准定位对应信息；3. 针对段落描述题，需精读指定段落，提炼核心内容；4. 主旨大意题需通读全文，梳理文章整体内容，总结作者写作目的。
【解析】
1. 第1题（词义猜测题）：定位到第二段最后一句“They really play an important role in the health of the rainforests.”，分析前文可知，该句前一句提到“The tall trees make a canopy... which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from... ”，此处的“They”指代前文的“the tall trees”，因此选A。
2. 第2题（细节理解题）：根据题干关键词“branches and leaves never touch”定位到第三段，原文明确说明“Scientists think this is the trees' way to protect themselves so that they won't get diseases from another tree.”，可知原因是保护自己，因此选B。
3. 第3题（细节理解题）：精读最后一段，该段主要讲述热带雨林降雨丰富，能自行产生雨水，其湿气形成的雨云可惠及其他国家，且提到“Rainforests are a part of nature that can help support the environment and keep our planet healthy.”，体现了热带雨林的重要性，因此选D。
4. 第4题（主旨大意题）：通读全文，文章依次介绍了热带雨林的物种多样性、保持健康的方式、树木的生长特点、降雨情况及生态作用，整体目的是对热带雨林进行介绍，因此选C。
【答案】1~4 ABDC
【知识点】词义猜测题、细节理解题、主旨大意题
【点评】本文为说明文，围绕热带雨林的多方面特征展开介绍，考查学生对不同阅读题型的解题能力，难度适中，需学生具备精准定位原文信息和归纳主旨的能力。
【难度系数】0.6